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MLS All-Star Game creates opportunities for Portland, U.S. soccer: Editorial

julian green

Bayern Munich's Julian Green signs autographs at Red Bull Stadium in Harrison, N.J., where Bayern played an exhibition game before heading to Portland to play the MLS All-Stars. Green, who at 19 already plays for one of the world's best teams, is considered one of the brightest American-born soccer stars.
(Thomas Boyd, The Oregonian)

To quickly review: At the World Cup in Brazil last month, the United States was assigned to the so-called "Group of Death," and given little chance to be one of the two teams to advance into the tournament's elimination round. But Team USA beat Ghana and tied Portugal, which was enough to advance despite a loss to Germany. The U.S. lost its first elimination game to Belgium, but played gallantly and earned respect. Germany went on to win the World Cup. Meanwhile, World Cup games posted record U.S. television ratings – even for matches that didn't include Team USA.

Oregonian editorials

Editorials reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom.

If you have questions about the opinion section, contact Erik Lukens, editorial and commentary editor, at elukens@oregonian.comor 503-221-8142.

Three weeks after the championship match, Bayern Munich, Germany's top professional soccer team, is coming to Portland to play the MLS All-Stars on Wednesday. The MLS team will feature nine World Cup players, including eight members of the U.S. club. As many as six members of Germany's national team could suit up for Bayern, as well as several players from other World Cup squads.

This much is almost certain: Portland will look like a million bucks on the television broadcast, which will be beamed to about 150 countries, and the free advertising from the game will be worth more than that. Fans at the game will have a grand time, as Portland soccer fans almost always do. And Portland-area businesses, particularly ones downtown, will welcome the business they get from visiting players, media (more than 400 have requested credentials) and fans.

The MLS format, pitting its All-Stars against one of the best European squads, creates more intrigue than exists in most all-star games. But the most interesting question surrounding the game is whether MLS and U.S. soccer in general can continue to build on its momentum.

Even before the World Cup, soccer was drawing increased attention in the United States. An ESPN sports poll in March showed that MLS had drawn even with Major League Baseball in popularity with 12-17 year-olds. Portland is among a handful of MLS teams, including rival Seattle, which have demonstrated the league's ability to connect with fans and create a festive, lively atmosphere at games. In fact, the Southeastern Conference, known for the most rabid college football fans in the nation, recently sent a delegation to learn tips from the MLS about building relationships with fans – especially young ones.

Wednesday's All-Star game, and related activities that started Friday, will showcase both the reasons MLS is growing and what it needs to do to claim a spot with football, baseball, basketball and hockey in the upper tier of American professional sports leagues.

Those who watch the game will see a downtown stadium that blends the charm of historic venues like Boston's Fenway Park or Green Bay's Lambeau Field with Portland-centric features such as light-rail access, bicycle parking and food carts. And Providence Park will be packed with hard-core fans who are as passionate as those of the other professional leagues.

The next challenge for MLS, a necessary step to reach the level of the more-established sports leagues, is to capture casual fans. As other sports leagues do, MLS has a range of All-Star activities at various locations – including Pioneer Courthouse Square and Waterfront Park – designed to appeal to less-serious fans. Of course, the events include a bicycle tour, which starts at 10 a.m. Sunday at Waterfront Park.

The extracurricular activities should be fun, but in the United States the most effective approach to attracting casual fans has been to build a league's brand around superstars. That makes the actual All-Star game one of Major League Soccer's most important marketing tools.

Maybe, U.S. soccer's Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods – a transcendent player capable of lifting his sport to another level – will be playing in the game. DeAndre Yedlin, a U.S. World Cup team member on the MLS team, and Julian Green, an American who plays for Bayern Munich and also played for Team USA, are among the brightest young American stars. Or perhaps the first true American soccer superstar will be watching on TV. Regardless, Portland has put itself in position to play a key role in U.S. soccer's rise and to benefit from its success.